For the next few days, I’ll be posting excerpts from Nancy Guthrie’s Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter (Crossway). Join me as I aim to contemplate the cross this passion week.
Today’s meditation is by Jonathan Edwards, from chapter 7 “A Sweet Smelling Savor to God” (pg. 112-113 of Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross, edited by Nancy Guthrie).
When we consider Christ’s death only as an expiation for sin, we have no consideration at all of the excellency of the act but only its equivalency to the punishment that we had deserved. But if we consider that holiness and loveliness of it in the sight of God as his voluntary act, so it doth not merely expiate our guilt but merits an infinitely glorious reward.
‘Tis thus especially that the sacrifice Christ offered is said to be a sweet-smelling savor to God. ‘Tis as there was a righteousness in it. It was as Christ in offering up this sacrifice offered up to God a heart full of divine and holy love and respect to God’s authority and command. He expresses such a love by his voluntary bearing or going through those sufferings.
This made Christ’s sacrifice not only satisfactory to appease his anger, but it was a sweet-smelling savor to merit his favor. Ephesians 5:2 says, “Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.” By this especially it was that God was well pleased with his Son. He was not only well pleased with our surety so far that his anger was appeased, but so that he infinitely delighted in him for his righteousness’ sake. Isaiah 42:21 says, “The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness….”
… Though Christ be fully rewarded, yet there is merit for us because believers have the benefit of Christ’s merits as being in Christ and so partaking with him…. This is part of the reward that he sought and merited–that believers should be glorified with him. This he greatly set his heart on and earnestly sought this. Itwas the joy that was set before him. And this now he greatly rejoices in. Herein consists the success of his undertaking. Christ has merited success. Herein he triumphs over Satan. Herein consists much of the glory of his kingdom of grace in bringing home souls to God and to eternal glory….
Glory be to Christ for letting us lowly sinners partake in His glorious reward. His sacrifice removed the wrath of God from us, and it also secured the infinite favor of God for us. Blessed be the Name of our Great Savior, Jesus Christ!